It was only five days ago when the Dubbo Demons were rejoicing after getting themselves firmly back into the Central West AFL finals race.
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But the loss of four competition points has brought the club crashing back to earth and now in real danger of missing out on a place in the top four.
The Dubbo club’s men’s side was informed on Tuesday night it would be stripped of four points after fielding an incorrectly registered player in the round three game against the Parkes Panthers, a match the Demons won.
The final score in that match was 8.9.57 to 6.15.51 but the Panthers have now been awarded a 51-0 victory.
It is technically the Parkes side’s first win of the season while the Demons fall four points off the Bushranger Outlaws despite beating the Bathurst club on the weekend.
“A misunderstanding between the Dubbo AFL Club (DAFC) and the transferring player meant that neither party were aware of the breach until notified by AFL Central West,” Demons president Nick Lowther said in a statement.
“The league issued an initial breach notice and allowed the club to lodge an appeal, which was dismissed last week by AFL NSW/ACT.
It is important to note that the matter was clerical and not deliberate.
- Demons president Nick Lowther
“It is important to note that the matter was clerical and not deliberate. Upon an internal club investigation, it was found that no player or volunteer sought to seek advantage or deceive the league and its associated clubs for this match or any other this season. It was simply a heartbreaking oversight.
“However, the DAFC has reviewed all registration matters in consultation with the league and we thank them for their support during the matter.”
While it was obvious the breach was a mistake and not one done to create an advantage, the Central West AFL (CWAFL) rules are black and white when it comes to registration of players.
The Demons mistake came about when registering a transferred player and there was little chance of overturning CWAFL’s decision after a precedent was set last year when the Outlaws were stripped of points for a similar error.
While it is a huge blow for a Demons side which had just started to show signs of a resurgence, earning praise from ladder-leading Orange Tigers in the process, there is time left in the regular season.
The Demons travel to take on the high-flying Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels this weekend while the Outlaws are likely to stay clear of the Dubbo side as they take on Parkes.
After this weekend, there are a further seven rounds left in the regular season.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
